Sigma Octantis IV
Signa Octantis IV is the fourth planet that orbits the star Sigma Octantis, which is located 270 lightyears from Earth. It was a densely populated world that was strangely distant from the major core Inner Worlds around Earth. It was characterized by flat land with the occasional mountain bundle, and massive inland freshwater seas. It is 14,000 kilometers in diameter and has a gravitational pull of 1.21 G. Planetary Description Sigma Octantis IV, sometimes called 'Sigoct' or 'Sigiv' by the planetary inhabitants, is a 'teenaged' world of 3.8 billion years, much younger than that of Earth. Sigoct sports a 81% landmass, making the total amount of land larger than that of Earth. A few saltwater oceans occur around the equator and most notably in the southern hemisphere, but the planet's true claim to fame is the massive freshwater oceans that actually occur inland, the largest of which at its widest point is more than 1000 kilometers wide. A few cities have set up around the edges of the Sweet Ocean and ship to one another. The ocean itself is a good source of drinking water for the population with the rest coming from the polar caps. Sigma Octantis IV has wide open fields which are windswept. These areas are excellent for wind powered stations that are used to power cities and supply people with power. There are indeed tropical sections of the planet around the equator that are inhabited by rather strange flora. An adaptable plant that survived the terraformation of the planet in the early 2400s that moves in the wind to steady itself. There are arguments whether these plants, known as Fileadiae octantae are aware of their surroundings. Much of the crust seems to be composed of silacates, though a good portion of the planet is also shows evidence of much higher sea levels geologically recent in the terms of the last ten to twenty thousand years. Scientists initially wondered why this was the case, but it seems that the answer lies in what circles the planet. A massive ring with five sections to it is composed by micrasteroids, ice, and dust. The initial thought is that a long time ago, a moon of the planet, or possibly a captured asteroid found itself in a decaying orbit around the planet. Eventually the satellite in question was captured in Sigoct's Roche Limit and was subsequently torn apart, forming the ring. Some of the fragments may have impacted the planet below and may have caused climate changes. There has been some research at the bottom of the sea where impact craters beneath the surface may support this theory. Sigma Octantis IV has two surviving moons - Simon and Theodore. The crashed moon was given the historical name Alvin. The larger of the two, Theodore, has been able to retain an atmosphere through a dense iron core. However, there is considerable CO2 in the atmosphere, meaning that visitors will need to require environmental suits. Theodore has a gravity of .72G, which allows a bit of a spring in the steps of explorers. Locations on Sigma Octantis IV *The United Provinces of Yuletide **Copperdown **Bainsburough Inhabitants of Sigma Octantis IV *Evan Roan *Mathilda Roan *Allen Roan *Terry Roan *Kraig Roan Trivia *The moons, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were named after The Chipmunks, a 20th Century cartoon series, which evidently still found favor in the 25th Century. *Sigma Octantis IV is not the same planet as Sigma Octanus IV, a planet mentioned in the canon Halo series. The latter planet's system does not actually exist in the real world whereas the former's does. Appearances *Partnership (First Appearance) Category:Planet Category:Location